Family Ties
by HexingHayley
Summary: Nick, now a family man. His Daughter, now a Grimm. With the sight given to her out of nowhere Ann Burkhardt is thrown into the world of hidden fairy tale in modern day Portland. How is she going to cope with a normal hectic teenage life on top of her Grimm duties? On top of all of the death threats and the theatrics of the Royals? Will this story have less of a fairy tale ending?


Hello readers! I'm HexingHayley and obviously I'm a Fanfic writer, this is the first Fanfic I've written out of the DC comic area. I live in England and have fallen in love with the show Grimm, it came to our screens in the UK about a year ago, the only thing is it's not as big over here and only a few of my friends know about it. Regardless, I thought I'd try my hand at this, so here you go, my first Grimm Fanfic attempt. Just for your information this chapter will be about double size of a normal chapter.

Enjoy, be sure to let me know what you think! :)

Disclaimer – All major, recognisable characters are owned by their creative holders, anything else, including this plot belongs to moi. Thos isn't the only site I have uploaded this story on, to dis-spell any theories of copying.

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Family Ties – Chapter One

Halloween

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Halloween.

A time of candy, spooky stories and celebrating the dead by dawning countless monstrous masks. I was on the way to a family friend's house. I was meant to leave with my parents, but I needed to finish some work. I was regretting my decision, something felt off, I felt invisible eyes on my back as my small heeled boots clicked upon the smooth pavement, I quickened my pace.

_Not that much further._

As I turned the corner I ran into a group of young children, their parents not far behind. I looked down at them, they screamed in fear when they saw my face, even though I wore no mask. _Bless them_. They all ran back to their parents. Hiding behind their legs and peeking between them. I smiled up at the parents - I knew them all.

"Evening, I didn't mean to startle anyone."

"Oh no," said Mrs Cutter, "We were just telling them stories' about your family, I think we worried them a bit."

"Ah, the powers of a good story, I know that feeling... Ah here you go." I knelt down in front of the children, still huddled behind the group of parents. I offered them a hand cupped full of sweets pulled from my jacket pocket.

One of the girls slowly stuck out her hand, her delicate fingers trembled as she took just the one. I stroked her hair and she squealed. I stood up again and laughed, I passed the remainder of candy to one of the parents.

"Thank you, you didn't need to." Mr Pearson said.

"Not at all, my dad just would have eaten it all."

I continued to laugh as I walked away, looking over my shoulder as Mr Pearson shouted, "Give our regards to the folks."

"Will do, Mr P! You lot have a good night now!"

"She's a good girl." His wife said as they walked in the opposite direction.

I walked at a quick pace toward the house, it was getting cold and I had no desire to stay out in dark. Anyone or anything for that matter could be lurking in the dark shadows now loaming around buildings. I wasn't ready for any type of attack, animal or otherwise.

I rounded the corner. The house. There it was. _Safe._ I thought. _You're safe. Nothing's going wrong tonight._ I walked up the couple of porch steps. I turned around to survey my surroundings for a final time. There was nothing. I breathed a sigh of relief as I opened the door.

As I stepped over the toasty threshold I was wrapped in the inviting sent of pinewood and maple syrup. _Mmmm, pancakes_. I shut the door behind me and began to unbutton my coat. "Hey, it's only me!" Happy chatter drifted from the kitchen as I walked through the hallway.

"Hiya." I said as I walked into the room. There was a chorus of 'hey's and 'welcomes' given to me.

"You took your time." My mom said, "You had us worried."

I rolled my eyes at no one in particular. The regular paranoia my mom suffered with had set in. I left her to it; taking a seat I smiled and turned to talk to Monroe and dad.

"Hey, the trip ok?" Dad questioned lightly. I shrugged non-committedly, he of course agreed with mom but had the decency not to get all freaked out about it, he after all, was in the same boat as I was, and had been in it for much longer than I had.

"Yeah didn't meet anything did ya?" Cut in Monroe. I heard my mom faultier in her forced conversation with Rosalee.

"Nothing attacked me if that's what you're asking." Out of the corner of my eye I saw mom flinch, it irritated me. I mean I loved her, she was my mom, but no matter how much she said she coped with our family heritage it was clear that she didn't.

"Saw the Cutters and Pearson families out trick-or-treating. The kids saw me and they freaked." I laughed.

"The Eisbiber and Mauzhertzen families? Naw they're a good lot." Monroe stated conversationally. I glanced at dad to see a look of relief on his tired face.

"They are aren't they? Tell you want the Cutters little girl is so cute. I offered the kids candy and she was the only one that took any."

"They've heard the stories; they probably thought you laced them with poison from that god awful trailer of yours."

"It's not mine you idiot!" I sang playfully as I turned, spinning on my bar stool to see Drake walk into the kitchen.

"Hey buddy," Monroe said rubbing his hands together, you're mom's just about to get the pumpkin pie out the oven."

He walked to the breakfast bar, picking the stool next to me. He'd just had a shower, and even though dressed, his usually straight brown hair was still wet. So I was overwhelmed with the smell of wet dog, a smell I loved.

"Evening red riding hood!" I rolled my eyes as dad snorted.

"If I'm anyone Drake love, it's the huntsmen." I stated as a matter of fact.

"You don't have to remind me." I smiled brightly and slapped him on the back of his head, causing his stool to spin slightly.

"And what's that meant to mean?"

"It means you're an axe wielding psycho bitch."

I tilted my head slightly, reaching my hand out pushing his head onto his left shoulder, exposing his toned neck. I hummed as my slender fingers passed his pulse point, it had quickened considerably.

"Na," I removed my hand from his throat as he let out a breath, while everyone else laughed, "I'm more of a cross bow girl, if we're being honest."

An hour or so passed. We chatted, ate pumpkin pie, told ghost stories, dad even brought one of the Grimm diaries from the trailer, I read everyone the original red riding hood account, in which Red riding hood was helping the huntsmen - a newly established Grimm - slaughter a whole pack of Blutbad.

"I think you'll find they did some major editing for the kids fairy tale."

"Yep," Rosalee laughed, "I don't think kids would be able to cope with the truth."

"Oi!" Protested Monroe, "What about the truth of my ancestors? The fact they were slaughtered for example?!"

"Um, excuse me Monroe," Dad cut in as he placed an arm around mom's waist, "They were slaughtered because they had killed a load of village elders."

"Pfft, details." He brushed of this small fact as he finished off his third slice of pie.

From my place on the Settee, lent comfortably on Drake and next to mom, I spotted a shadow pass over the living room window. Dad had spotted this too as I looked at the clock, just coming up to elven, surely all trick-or-treaters would be tucked up in bed now...

I walked towards the front door to see who was outside, a knotting feeling twisting in my gut, something definitely wasn't right here. As I reached for the door handle something came through the glass panes in the front door, narrowly missing my head, I cursed and hit the deck, little flecks of multi-coloured glass of the beautiful red wolf in the frame tangling itself in my auburn -brown hair.

There were screams from the living room, mostly my moms. I heard the front door open and slam closed in a rush of wind.

I picked myself up and shook the glass hurriedly from my hair, when I focused on the group, dad was missing. I looked around the room for something heavy, preferably sharp and pointy. I spotted something in the corner.

"Are you ok?" I guessed it was my mom.

I rushed past her to pick up the poker sitting next to the fireplace. "Pfft please, it'll take more than glass to bring me down." I looked around. "Stay here."

As I ran for the door Monroe asked me "You're going to take them on with a poker?"

I looked at him, eyebrow raised, grin on my face, "Totally. See ya."

"She's so cool."

I ran from the house, looking for any sign of a fight, there were drag marks on the grass, two heels wrecking the length of the lawn, they stopped when they reached the pavement. I reached the edge to find blood specks replacing the mud. Someone was bleeding; I hoped it was the attacker, a Reaper I guessed.

Across from the house there was a patch of forest, a place where Drake and I frequently went running. I rushed across the road, the street lamps casting an ominous sort of glow on the blackened surface. I got to the edge, looking for footprints. Sure enough I found fresh ones, easily distinguishable upon the damp sodden earth due to the frost in the air. I followed them deeper into the wood, finding blood spattered on random tree trunks, I knelt down to investigate when there was a snap from behind me. I span around just in time to receive a fist to the face, someone else grabbed me from behind. Of course they weren't going to just send just one Reaper for two Grimm's. With dads track record he was probably fighting off five and I these two. The Royal family weren't half sexiest; apparently a girl wasn't that much of a threat. _Their look out._

Caught in the one guys grasp I kicked both of my legs outwards knocking the one that had punched me right in the face backwards, he staggered back clutching a bloody nose. Still gripping the poker in one hand I span myself in the other man's grip, using my free hand to forcefully push away from his chest. Now free, I watched as they both began to circle. From opposite sides both lunged forwards, I flipped backwards avoiding them, in the confusion of losing sight of me they collided in a tangle of limbs.

I refused to ask questions right now, instead driving the poker between the shoulder blades of the bigger of the two. The brut howled then stilled, pulling out the now bloody poker I hauled the corps off of his companion, looking down at his face. I must have looked a right state, hair wild with god knows what, blood spatters all over me, not excluding my facial features and clothes torn to shreds.

"Why did they send you?" I hadn't been expecting an answer, the one I did get though - more of a taunt from the sounds of the tone - was in French, which was really helpful.

He made to get up, I grasped the poker like a baseball bat, his head was the ball. The sound both made on contact wasn't pleasant. I looked at the forest floor, two dead people at my hands, one with a stab wound to the chest, another with a smashed in skull. I was barley seventeen. I wasn't naturally a violent person, but I did what I had to. They wouldn't have just hurt us, but everyone around us. The vision of both kills still fresh in my mind, I crouched over, spitting out the bile that had just risen in my throat. I stood up and began to run deeper into the woods, away from my bodies, following the blood spatters to I assumed dad. It didn't take that long to find him, I just followed the snapped twigs and yells.

I found them all in a semi-clearing, unlike my guys; dads Reapers had synths, big synths. Two of the four however were already down. He was now tackling the third, unaware that the fourth was creeping up behind him, I heard the third man's neck snap, dad stood up, turning in time to be punched full in the face by the fourth Reaper. He staggered and fell back, rolling out of the way as the Reaper fell on his front, revealing my poker embedded expertly into his heart. Just because I didn't like killing, didn't mean that I hadn't been taught how to do so. I walked over, pulling it from the guys back - Monroe would probably want it back.

"Ann!" I gave an unamused smile. "You shouldn't have followed me; any one of these four could have killed you!"

I looked at him calmly, "Six." I corrected him.

He looked dumbfounded, "You..."

"Killed another two people? Yeah. They're nearer the entrance to the forest. We should get rid of these guys."

Dad had told me stories about the very first Wesen criminal he'd ever come across, a Blutbad postman, he had lived in the forest, that's where we'd take the bodies I assumed. I helped him with his four and then we went back and grabbed my two. As we dragged them through the forest I could feel dad's eyes on my back. The neck of the guy I dragged lolled at a sickening angle and I could feel my hands shake uncontrollably. We dumped the bodies with their partners and made our way back to the house.

"What about the blood?"

Dad shrugged, "No one would notice it in the forest unless they were looking for it, and as for the stuff over the street, people will just put it down to Halloween decorations."

"How is it just so easy for you to...? Just move on like that?"

I'd been exposed to this private little world for seven years so I was used to seeing Wesen pretty much everywhere I turned in Portland. What I still wasn't used to though was the violence that came with the duties of being a Grimm, specifically the killing part.

"It's part of the job."

We ran across the road towards the house, I zipped shut my jacket, not wanting to show off the blood. Hiding the bloody and slightly bent poker behind my back dad raised a questioning eyebrow, I shrugged, "Mom."

He nodded, "Good idea."

He opened the door and I followed inside. "Hey!"

We walked into the living room, I discreetly leant the poker up against the wall before walking in, shoving my blood covered hands inside my jacket pocket after hastily patting down my knotted hair and wiping my face.

"We caught them." Dad said, trying to keep an upbeat tone.

I placed myself carefully on Drake's armchair arm. I widened my eyes in warning, knowing that he could smell the blood. "There were only 3, we were lucky, they clearly don't see Ann as a threat, they all came after me. Ann just ran after us, keeping her distance."

I nodded, he was lying through his teeth, I had a feeling, actually I knew, that Monroe and Drake at least knew we were lying, they had the ability to smell individual's blood. No doubt they knew there had been six. Mom however couldn't process the individual's blood types. So we were safe.

"Where's the poker?" Monroe asked.

"Monroe!" Scolded Rosalee.

"What?! Good pokers are hard to find! That one belonged to my great-great grandmother; it was forged in an old German village that's since been destroyed! I -" He let out a strangled cry. During his speech about his beloved poker I had got up and grabbed it, I guiltily handed it over, all bloody and bent.

"I- uh, I got it to dad and-"

Monroe sighed, "Never mind, say no more." I smiled sheepishly.

"We'll get you one for Christmas, as a present." Dad promised as he nodded solemnly.

"Yeah!"

I stretched out my arms for emphasis and instantly regretted it. It felt as though the first of my Reapers had bruised my ribs in the struggle. I immediately hugged myself to stop the sharp throbbing.

"Well, it's getting late and we've caused you enough trouble tonight guys..." Dad stood and stretched, pulling mom up as well who snaked her arm around his waist, hugging him.

Drake collected the plates carrying them to the kitchen, asking for my help as he walked passed even though he didn't pass me anything. We got in the kitchen and I helped him load the dish washer.

"How many were there Ann? I can smell a lot more than three."

"Six." I said without looking at him, "They sent four after dad, two after me; all of them are dead, three each."

I leant up against the side board my back to the room, I felt him nuzzle his face into the crock of my neck, his arms crossing over my torso, "I wish you were more careful."

"You don't think I wish that too?"

He sighed, "I guess so, until then take this," he pulled a small bottle from the cupboard above our heads, pressing it into my hand.

"Ann, we're going!"

"Two seconds mom! What is it?"

"It'll help with the bruising. Just apply it to where it hurts."

I untangled myself from him, stuffing the bottle into my jacket pocket before lightly catching his lips in mine. I didn't know when Drake and I happened, but I'm glad we did, even if no one else knew.

"See you soon."

"Yeah, see you Burkhardt."

I was thankful mom and dad drove to the house, it meant I could curl up in the back of the car on the way back. "And you're sure you're both alright?" Mom questioned for the umpteenth time, and from my spot in the back I could see dad's hands visibly clench the steering wheel.

"Juliette, we're fine, we're fine aren't we Ann?"

He looked at me in the rear view mirror, all I could hear was the crunch of the Reapers head as it contacted the poker, "Hmm, yeah. Fine, just fine."

The road was wet and I could hear the tiers sticking to the asphalt, I closed my eyes willing the images to go away, they only came back stronger. "Just peachy ma."

My phone pinged as I tried to replace the images of dead men with the bubble bath and that soothing balm Drake had given me. I opened the message as we pulled into the drive way and got out. It was from Drake...

_'__Found what you hide, they looked good in orange.'_

He had gone to find and burn the bodies. Mom and dad were inside so they didn't see my pie make a reappearance in the trash can.

_'Saves us having to get them later, cheers._'

"Ann?"

"Coming mom!"

I swear, I didn't have the stomach for this job, I hoped that would change, even if it just meant not causing the deaths.

I didn't really say anything as I headed to my bedroom to undress; the top I was wearing was ruined all torn, covered in a mix of blood and mud. I clutched the bottle Drake had given me in one hand, my phone in the other, walking to the bathroom in my white dressing gown; I locked the door behind me.

The water ran in the tub as I tipped a generous amount of toffee scented bubble bath in, only entering the lava water when every reflective surface in the room was covered in a thin film of condensation.

The water burned away the grim from my body and seared the deaths from my mind, numbing me entirely as I submerged myself in the silky scalding element. I laid there until it felt as though I had no skin left to burn, no bubbles left to hide me.

I squeaked and slid against the acrylic bath tub as the murky water drained away. I stepped onto the bath mat, unstopping the small lotion bottle, and applying the thick thyme and lavender smelling substance to the areas of my body I knew would be bruised, wrapping myself in two individual towels once I had finished. I collected my belongings and exited the steamy room heading for my bed.

I stretched across my double bed feeling the lotion stick to my pyjama top, the dull throbbing against my chest and torso now nothing more than a tingling sensation. I was on the verge of shutting my eyes when a knock sounded against my door.

"Ann?"

"Come in dad!"

I sat up, leaning against the head board, he opened the door and walked in, the first thing I noticed was that his eyes were red, swollen and puffy.

"Hey..." I patted a spot next to me on the bed and he came to sit next to me, perched on the bed feet planted firmly on the floor.

"Hey sweetheart, I-I just wanted to tell you that I'm going away for a while, your mom and I had another argument while you were in the bath, and I think it's for the best."

I sprang up to my knees creating a dip in my mattress as I went to protest, "You can't go! You're still teaching me stuff that I need to know! Where will you- How the hell am I going to last with all these Reapers?! The family will send more dad!"

He brushed my still wet hair away from my face, "I'm not leaving Portland, I'm staying with Monroe, Rosalee and Drake. I'll still see you every day, that won't change, we can still do the Grimm thing together, your mother and I just need time apart."

"No, it's not fair! She's the one that can't cope with this, neither of us wanted this, but we deal with it. She should go!"

I was angry, so angry I was seeing red. Dad had told me that mom always had trouble adjusting after she found out about him, always overprotective and acting like she knew it all. He said this only intensified when I was born and he told her there was a good chance that I would have the sight myself. I remembered the first time I saw someone Woge, luckily it had only been Rosalee, it freaked mom out that it didn't scare me. Unbeknownst to her however dad had been telling me all about his world in perpetration, just in case I did have the sight.

"You could let her go so easily?" His head tilted as he studied me.

"I didn't say that, she's my mom and I love her, but ever since I've been in active service, well, we haven't exactly been close have we? This whole thing has just driven a wedge between us..."

"I know, and I'm sorry for that."

"Sorry? What have you got to be sorry about?" He looked surprised as I continued, "It freaked me out at first sure, and yeah not going to lie, the situation with the Royals isn't ideal, but I wouldn't change this for the world! It's just so amazing!"

"And that right there is what freaks Juliette out the most, I think, the fact that you love it."

"Well that's just tough!" I declared as I flung my arms out. We both smiled and even laughed a little,

"Oh, I was meant to tell you," I remembered changing the subject, "The want-to-be-undertakers were set alight by one mister Drake not long after we left."

"Well, that saves me a job, tell him I say thanks."

"I will. Why did they even show up today dad?"

"Honestly I don't know, you can believe me when I tell you though, I'm going to stop them."

"We're, we're going to stop them." I corrected.

"Yeah," He stood and stretched, ruffling my damp hair. He made his way to the door, looking at me as I asked, "Will you leave tonight?"

"Yeah, my bags already packed."

I got up following him down the stairs as he gripped his bag tightly. Mom stayed in their bedroom while I walked with him out to the car, placing his bag across the back seats as he got in the front, ci leant through the diver seats open window.

"Have a safe trip; let me know when you get to Monroe's."

"Despite the fact it's midnight?"

"Do you think I care about that?"

He laughed, "No I suppose not, I'll see you tomorrow at the station. I'll make sure your coffees ready if you bring the muffins for break."

"You have yourself a deal sir!"

I stayed outside until his car turned at the end of the road and was out of sight. As I walked back up the stairs I saw mom through their open bedroom door, absentmindedly playing with her wedding ring, "Night mom."

I got no reply.


End file.
